One Piece: Dark Horse
by Al David
Summary: Next Gen. 30 years after the execution of the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy, launched the world into a new Pirate Age, a crew unlike any other sets sail. With the world out to crush them, can this group of motley underdogs overcome their weaknesses to accomplish their dreams and find the One Piece?
1. Romance Dawns Anew!

**Disclaimer: The only one I'll publish. I don't own One Piece or its affiliated characters. That credit goes to Eiichiro Oda.**

 **A/N: If you have not read Reborn! Again, my next gen Reborn! fic, first off, what are you doing? Go read it! :)** **Secondly, you can skip to the next paragraph. Alright, R!A fans, I just wanted to let you know that this is not replacing Reborn! Again. I'm late on R!A because my backlog ran out and I've been really busy lately with graduation BS. This One Piece chapter has been done for over a year. Don't fret.**

 **Everyone, new and old readers alike, as of today, this will merely be a mini-series, because I only have 5 chapters finished and no time to write more. I just really wanted to publish this, and not leave it in my hard drive to waste away. HOWEVER, if this is a huge hit (and it really would have to be huge; 4 or 5+ reviews per chapter) I'll make room to continue this story. With that said, if you enjoy these next few chapters, let me know! The fate of the story literally depends on it. (I'll also respond to your review!)**

 **Anyway, without further ado, I present to you…**

 **...**

One Piece: Dark Horse

Chapter 1: Romance Dawns Anew!

...

"Can you believe it?"

"Believe what, Moss-Head?"

"He's obviously talking about the anniversary. It's been twenty years since… _then._ "

"Oh, of course, Nami-swaaaan! It's unbelievable to think it's been so long since Luffy—"

"Quiet! If somebody hears you…anyway, I wasn't the one that asked."

A small crowd of people sat at the bar of a pub. Each one looked rather unusual, particularly for such an ordinary bar in an ordinary little town like Windmill. After hearing the commotion the small party caused, a black-haired, middle-aged woman walked out from the back of the bar.

"That sounds like…it is! The Straw Hat Pirates!" The woman exclaimed, hurrying up to the edge of the bar.

A man whose once-green hair was slowly fading to gray—the same man who'd first spoken up—shouted, "Shut up, Makino! If someone realizes—"

"What? That you all used to be the second Pirate King's crew?" Makino motioned around the room. Nobody stirred. The only few people who paid the ex-pirates any mind were those who were annoyed at the ruckus. Roronoa Zoro slumped back into his seat, surprised. Even the ever-chivalrous Sanji was so shocked by the bar's other attendees' lack of care that he didn't bother to scold his longtime friend.

"It's been twenty years since Luffy turned himself in and was executed. His legend and last words remain the driving force behind the new generation of pirates and marines alike. However, the rest of his contemporaries—including you—have all but been forgotten. It's a new age and this is a peaceful town," Makino stated, before playfully adding, "That's a long-winded way of saying 'nobody around here cares.'"

"I don't believe it. Swordsmen all around the world still fear my name," Zoro reassured himself.

"We aren't famous anymore…" Chopper the Reindeer whined depressively, sinking into his seat.

"No way! Sniper King's still a legend among men!" The ever-proud Usopp declared.

"Don't be so dramatic, all of you. We're here to celebrate our Captain's life, not to complain about how the world's changed," Nico Robin chided.

"Ahhh! Robin-chan, you're so selfless!" Sanji boomed.

"Together now!" The redheaded Nami raised her glass, and the others followed suit. "To the Pirate King! To our Captain! To Luffy!"

"To Luffy!" Makino and the Straw Hat Pirates cheered.

From there, the pirates reminisced, laughed, cried and honored the life of the second Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy, toasting him on more than one occasion. Even as the crewmates and friends remembered their youth and their era, the winds of a new Pirate Age blew through Partys Bar. Slowly, but confidently, the winds slowed to a breeze, but continued towards Roronoa Zoro. Just feet away, then inches, then…

"Excuse me."

The moss-head swordsman turned around. A seven-year-old boy stared up at Zoro with enormous bright blue eyes. He was bundled up in a wheelchair, his blond hair so light it appeared white.

"Can I please have your autograph, Mr. Zoro?" The boy asked politely, holding up a notepad and pen. He looked at all the Straw Hat pirates and, in turn, they quieted down. "Can I please have all of your autographs?"

The swordsman was caught somewhere between curiosity and confusion. "You want our signatures? _Pirates'_ signatures?"

"Yep!" The boy happily replied. "So…"

Zoro massaged his temple but grinned nonetheless. "Yeah. We'll sign whatever you want."

The swordsman took the notepad and pen and scribbled down his signature. He passed it along to Nami and then looked back at the boy.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Barr D. Newton, sir!" The boy didn't miss a beat.

 _'D.?'_ Zoro kept the thought to himself, and continued. "So, you've heard of us, Newton?"

"Yep!" Newton admitted. "You're the Straw Hat Pirates!"

Zoro looked at Makino, victory in his grasp.

"'Nobody cares,' right?" Zoro pushed.

Makino crossed her arms and shook her head. "I said 'nobody _around here_ cares.' That boy's from out of town."

Newton interjected, "Yeah! I'm here with my Pa for a business trip!"

"What does your father do for a living?" Nami, long past having signed the boy's notepad, spoke up.

"He's an inventor. Pa said there's someone here who needs his help."

"An inventor…helping someone?" Zoro wondered.

"I heard that!" The cyborg, Franky, shot back from the far end of the table. After signing the notepad, he tossed it back to Zoro, who caught it effortlessly with one hand.

"Anyway…" Zoro handed the notepad back to Newton, who gratefully took it and admired the signatures. "How about you, kid? What do you want to do when you're older? Wanna be an inventor like your father?"

Newton couldn't tear his eyes off the paper before him, but he managed to shake his head. "Nope." He didn't give more of a response.

With each passing second of silence, Zoro became more and more frustrated, his left eyebrow twitching. "Kid…wanna…answer…my…QUESTION?"

"Zoro!" Nami grabbed the swordsman's hand before he could bring it down to smack the boy.

"Oh," Newton finally looked up, expression blank as he picked his nose with his pinkie. "Sorry…what'd ya ask?"

"I ASKED WHAT YOUR DREAM IS, DAMMIT! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE OLDER?!" Zoro roared as Nami continued to hold him back.

"That's easy!" Newton smiled cockily and jammed his thumb against his chest. "My dream is to be just like your captain, Monkey D. Luffy—to be King of the Pirates!"

Yet again, silence engulfed the room. Even the Straw Hats—pirates who had seen it all—couldn't fathom a seemingly crippled boy like Newton ever becoming the Pirate King. However, there remained a single shining light of hope amidst the gloomy darkness.

Makino beamed, "You sound just like him—just like Luffy! You've got his spirit and that's what carried him all the way to the top."

Usopp cleared his throat.

Makino rolled her eyes. "Well, that and his crew."

Newton's expression brightened and his smile grew to the point it was no longer just a façade of confidence. "You really think that?"

Makino nodded. "Yep!"

Suddenly, Zoro stood up from his seat. The other pirates froze, unsure of his motives. A soft breeze blew through the room, ruffling Newton's hair.

"I've always been a pessimist," Zoro whispered. Even Newton's face fell. This didn't sound good. "But Luffy didn't believe anything was impossible. Since he's gone, we have to be the ones to believe in the impossible. We have to carry on his legacy. After all, considering what we've done, what we've seen, can we really doubt anyone or anything?"

Zoro looked up, grinning ear-to-ear. He patted Newton's head. The boy's face lit up.

"Come with me, kid."

Newton nodded, still smiling. Zoro led the way out of the bar. Newton rolled his wheelchair to follow after him. Neither he nor the other Straw Hat Pirates knew what Zoro was up to, but no one questioned his motives.

The first mate to arguably the greatest pirate captain in history walked briskly through the town of Windmill, his white-haired follower always just a few feet behind. Newt constantly asked about where they were going, but Zoro never answered. His response was always quick and simple: "Shut up, you brat!"

Eventually, they made their way to a cliff looking out over the East Blue. However, the gorgeous view of crashing waves was far from the most beautiful sight on the crest.

Planted on the edge of the cliff, shining in the sunlight was a metal plate engraved with a map of the world. Another smaller plaque rested just below it, words inscribed into the steel. Between the two tablets were dual swords thrust into the ground so as to make an 'X.' A straw hat rested atop the right sword's hilt while a yellow sash was tied to the blade of the other.

"Monkey D… _Luffy?_ " Newton read aloud, growing more excited with each word. He didn't even bother to read the inscription below the name. Newton looked up at Zoro. "This is his…"

The boy's voice faded away when he noticed a single tear sliding down the swordsman's cheek as he stared down at the straw hat. Newton couldn't bring himself to speak up again. After almost a minute of silence, Zoro managed to stutter out two words.

"P-promise me."

Newton cocked his head to the side, confused. "Promise you what?"

Zoro faced the boy, his eyes alight with passion, "Promise me you'll never give up on your dreams! Promise me the next time we meet you'll be King of the Pirates!"

Newton couldn't help but smile upon seeing the swordsman's untamed zeal. The boy raised his right hand into the air, tightened it into a fist, and declared, "I promise!"

A tiny smile crept over Zoro's lips.

"Good." Zoro knelt down beside Newton. The swordsman reached back to his captain's grave. His hand hovered over the straw hat for a moment, before moving over to the left sword and the yellow sash. Zoro tugged on an end of the cincture, gently untying it from the blade. As the swordsman brought the sash up to his chest, a soft breeze blew over the crest, and Zoro froze in place.

"It's a new age…" The swordsman whispered. He looked up and tied the sash over Newton's forehead, causing the boy to stare at him, confused.

"Take care of this sash. It's a precious symbol," Zoro said.

Newton couldn't fathom the situation at all, let alone the importance of a yellow band of cloth. So, the boy asked the obvious question: "Of what?

Zoro grinned as he stood back up. The once-infamous pirate looked out over the ocean as a gentle sea breeze slid over Luffy's grave, ruffling the straw hat and caressing Zoro's skin.

"The Pirate King."

...

 **A/N: That's all for now, folks. What did you think? Good? Bad? Bit of both? And thanks for checking this out!**

 **So…yeah, this is obviously AU, as One Piece hasn't ended yet and I can only guess about what's to come. That said, I will adapt the story to the manga as it develops, but as Dark Horse takes place 30 years in the future, I don't think there will be much continuity conflict.**

 **As for the schedule, a new chapter will be published every Tuesday**

 **Oh, and one last thing! With my anime/manga fics, I like to preview the next chapter like anime episodes preview the next episode. Here it is…**

 **NEXT TIME ON DARK HORSE: Ten Years Later! Enter the Mysterious Travellers!**

 **? – Land ho.**

 **?2 – Looks like your piece of junk got us here after all**

 **?3 – Stop him! Stop that kid!**

 **?2 – Is…is this real? I thought there weren't any left.**

 **? –Marines are on their way here right now to capture us for execution!**


	2. Ten Years Later!

**Wow. I honestly didn't expect to get more than a couple reviews for last chapter. Keep it up, guys!**

 **XxCrazyDreamerxX: Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Derpulies: I hope the story lives up to its potential!**

 **Magic Type: I don't want to spoil anything about Newton or his appearance yet, so you'll have to keep reading for #1 and #3. However, I hadn't considered making him a glutton, and it might be nice to add another traditional shounen hero trait like that to his character.**

 **Sonny Daye: Ayyy! I'm glad you checked this out! This should be easy to follow, even if you only know a little about One Piece.**

 **...**

One Piece: Dark Horse

Chapter 2: Ten Years Later! Enter the Mysterious Travellers!

A metal ship the size of an oak tree sputtered to a stop beside a small wooden dock. Two figures in red cloaks stood at the front of the ship, a bag over each of their shoulders. The shorter figure smirked.

"Land ho." The shorter figure's playful voice sank into the sand of the empty beach.

"Looks like your piece of junk got us here after all," the taller figure replied.

"Told you!" The other cloaked figure crossed his arms, revealing pale, thin sticks-for-limbs. "I'm an engineer! I can make damn near any—"

The short figure's voice suddenly faded as a loud moaning echoed from the ship. The cloaked boy's face sunk. "Oh sh-"

 _CRASH!_

The boat shattered into pieces, crashing down into the sea. Not a second too late, the taller cloaked figure pulled their comrade from the doomed ship and made the leap to solid ground. Once safe and sound, they let go, leaving the shorter figure to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

"Thanks," the collapsed boy muttered. He spit out sand. "I guess I'm not much of a shipwright after all."

"C'mon, boy genius, get up," the taller one said, motioning to a village a couple hundred yards away. "We don't have long."

"Sorry." The short figure shot up and began running towards the rural town, grinning. After a few moments, he swiveled around to run backwards, facing his comrade. "Adventure awaits! What are you waiting for?"

Not even bothering to slow down for the other's response, the shorter figure turned back and sprinted toward the town.

"You idiot! You shouldn't exert yourself like that!" The taller figure worriedly shouted back as they sped up.

The cloaked boy stuck his pinkies into his ears, lightheartedly teasing, "I can't hear you!"

As he neared the town, the shorter figure's cloak fell back over his legs for but a moment, revealing a hint of gleaming silver.

...

The village greeted the two cloaked travelers with a newly painted sign reading, 'Welcome to Salom!' As for the hamlet itself, it was booming from back to front, which ranged just about the distance from the beach squared: roughly 300 yards. Peddlers sold—or at least attempted to sell—goods to a variety of folk. A few Marine personnel littered the more obviously wealthy shops, while the poorer salesmen were stuck in a ghetto of sorts, which took up most of the village.

Like any town, the travelers faced an assortment of life at its entrance. There were a few livestock here and there, some children playing, and a woman who struggled helplessly to fix the broken wheel and hinge on her cart.

The taller figure turned to their comrade, pulled a small bag of coins from their sack and put it in his hand. "I'll buy the food. You get supplies to build a new boat."

The boy nodded. The taller figure put a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"You must have the ship ready by sunset, or else…"

"Tch. Don't worry. I've got this." The boy shrugged the other cloaked figure off.

The taller figure reluctantly nodded. "Have the supplies with you in an hour. We'll meet up here."

"Got it!"

With that said, the tall traveller set off, forced to have faith in their comrade.

...

"Stop him! Stop that kid!"

Barely five minutes in the town and the tall traveller was already encountering trouble. A child—maybe 11 or 12 years old—dressed in rags was sprinting toward the traveller with a bag in his hand. Well behind, a bearded man tried to catch up. It didn't take long to put two and two together. The bearded man had just left a food tent. It was obvious the boy had stolen some of the man's goods.

"That boy stole my fruit!"

Hypothesis proven. The traveller faced the thief. The boy frowned and stepped to the side. Nobody tried to stop him; pedestrians merely watched, apathy and amusement freezing them in place.

The shop owner spotted the traveller and shouted, "Get that kid!"

The boy was just a second from passing the traveller by. The cloaked figure had already decided on their course of action. They stepped out of the thief's way. The boy didn't even bother to look at the traveller as he sprinted past.

"Damn it!" The shop owner grunted, glaring at the cloaked traveller. He stopped for a moment to look back at his tent. Underneath the awning, a teenaged boy was lazily juggling fruit. "Hiruk, watch the food!"

"Sure, Pa," the teen haphazardly promised.

The cloaked figure smirked as the shopkeeper ran past in an attempt to catch the thief. As the traveller neared the tent, they noticed one rather expected thing, and another that took them by surprise. The teenager remained unfocused on the food, continuing to juggle fruit. That was not shocking. What really drew the traveller's eye was a girl, who, while the teen ignored the stand, pocketed a few apples.

The girl caught sight of the traveller. She eyed them warily. The traveller merely reached into their bag, produced a heavy coin purse, and set it on the counter. Both the teen and the girl nearly fell back in shock.

"This is for the fruit you just lost, the fruit that girl is taking," the teen vendor finally noticed the second thief and frowned, "and two dozen apples and carrots for me."

"R-right," the teen muttered, dropping their fruit and counting out the money from the purse. While he did so, the traveller dropped their desired order into their bag and slung it back over their shoulder.

The girl continued to watch the traveller as the deal finished. Over the following few seconds, the cloaked figure became increasingly annoyed with the girl's gaze. The figure swiveled around to face the little thief.

"A 'thank you' is in order," the traveller spat.

"Got that right," the teen muttered, sitting back down. "Would've had her arrested if you hadn't…"

The traveller glared at the teen. The shopkeeper's son gulped. "Sorry, sir. Shutting up now."

"As I was saying…" the traveller continued.

"Thank you," the girl interjected.

The traveller paused for a moment, a bit surprised by the girl's sudden response. Slowly, a smile crept over the cloaked figure's lips. They tossed the kid a coin.

"Don't steal, kid. It never ends well."

The girl fumbled for the coin, eventually catching it. She nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

In what the teen believed was a way to earn back the traveller's favor, he shouted, "Hey, show a little respect! That there's a kind _man_ , you stupid little—"

The traveller turned their glare back to the teen. The boy blushed and quieted, sitting back down.

The cloaked traveller wasted but another moment to ruffle the little girl's hair before walking off to find the next thing on their list. Only steps away from their last 'adventure,' the traveller stopped as a man grabbed their shoulder.

"I saw ye." The man was old, bent over, and decrepit. However, despite his age and weakness, he carried a proud smile and walked without assistance. In his right hand was a satchel filled with something round.

"Ye are kind. Ye are different too…that arm." The old man pointed to where the cloaked figure's right arm would be under their cape. The traveller flinched. "I saw it. I saw it ain't normal. Ye ain't normal…but ye're kind. Weird and kind. That means ye're the type 'a person who could use this…"

The old man lifted up the bag for the cloaked traveller to see. The figure cocked their head to the side, curious.

"What is it…?" the traveller asked.

The old man's grin grew as he opened the bag for the traveller to see. Almost instantaneously, the cloaked figure took the bag, their jaw agape. The old man didn't resist.

"Is…is this real?" the traveller stuttered incredulously, "I thought there weren't any left. Not out of Marine hands anyway."

"It's 100% genuine. Just look at it. Ye can tell," the old man replied. The traveller couldn't respond. The hag was right; it certainly _looked_ genuine.

"100 beli," the old man stated.

"Wait, what?" The traveller looked up, eyes wide, "Only a hundred—I mean, fine. Yes. I'll take it."

The cloaked figure wasted no time to produce the desired money. In a matter of moments, the exchange had been made. The satchel and its contents were the traveller's.

"Thank you…I…I'll…" The traveller looked up. The old man was gone. The cloaked figure looked around, but couldn't find the codger anywhere.

As the traveller began to give up on the old man, his deep voice suddenly echoed over the wind.

"Soon…your real payment…soon…."

Lost, but unafraid, the traveller shook the old man's voice away and stashed the newly acquired item into their bag. Then, after taking a deep breath, the cloaked figure continued on.

...

About an hour later, when at last the traveller had secured all the food that would be needed for their travels, they returned to the town's entrance, awaiting their comrade. However, upon their arrival, the traveller noticed that, in fact, the boy was already there, huddled over a cart.

' _But no…that stupid kid didn't arrive early,'_ the traveller thought.

"You idiot!" The traveller smacked their companion on the back of his head. The boy shouted in pain and fell back. "I've been gone an hour and you've barely moved five feet!"

"Yeah, well, you did tell me not to overexert myself," the boy retorted, his hood now having fallen back over his head. Like his arms, the boy's face was pale. His eyes were as blue as ice and his hair so light blond it appeared white.

The seventeen-year-old's rebellious smile nearly drove the taller figure to hit him again. "You stupid—"

"Please, don't!" A woman jumped between the two. The boy sat up. "He helped me. My cart had broken down and he—he helped me."

" _Was_ helping, actually. Not quite done yet. I was just about to finish when you hit me." The boy rubbed the growing bruise on the back of his head and glanced at the cart.

The traveller sighed, massaging their forehead. "Yeah, yeah. Finish up, but make it quick. We've still got to get out of here by nightfall."

"Tch. Give me thirty seconds," the boy retorted. He immediately huddled back over the cart and continued his work, grumbling to himself, "'s not easy fixing something without tools..."

The cart's owner, the woman, stepped back and looked between the two travellers. She frowned.

"You need to leave by nightfall…? Why so soon?"

The taller traveller simply crossed their arms in a non-response. The boy didn't reply, slowly frustrating the woman. Suddenly, he got up onto his feet and faced her with a smile.

"All done! Sorry, what was it that you were asking?" The boy wondered, dusting off his hands.

The woman repeated her question. "Your…companion?" The boy nodded to confirm her suspicions. "Your companion said you needed to leave by nightfall. Why?"

"Oh, that." The boy whispered, his exuberance fading for a moment. Suddenly his frown turned upside down and he exploded with enthusiasm and confidence. The boy used his thumb to point at himself as he declared. "Y'see, miss, we're pirates! Marines are on their way here right now to capture us for execution!"

"P-pirates?" The woman exclaimed, stepping back. Everyone within hearing distance turned his or her focus to the commotion. The young pirate remained unfazed despite all the attention, merely smiling to himself as he leaned back against the cart.

The only person to remain fixated on something else entirely was the boy's companion, who stared coolly at the town's entrance beside the welcome sign.

"Yes, pirates," came a new, deep voice.

Suddenly, all eyes—including the boy's—followed the taller traveller's gaze toward the welcome sign. Standing there, weapons at the ready, was a squad of Marines. Near the front, holding two wanted posters high in the air, was a higher-ranking sailor—a young, blue-haired man dressed in standard Marine garb, including the cap. His jacket was undone, revealing an open baby blue button up. Underneath the coat he wore a brown leather belt that held a variety of knives and blades.

"Those two," the man continued, "are Barr D. Newton, worth 15,000,000 beli, and Sebastian 'Bullseye' Casey, whose head's worth a whopping 55,000,000."

"15,000,000 beli? Hell yeah!" Newton fist pumped.

"Get back, Captain," the still-cloaked Casey demanded, pushing Newton behind the cart.

"Judgment Day has arrived, pirate scum," the Marine growled. "I'm Captain Rex Picard, and I swear to you that you will not leave this island alive!"

Casey raised her hands just as the Commander lowered his.

" _FIRE!"_

 _..._

 **Suck on that cliffhanger! XD Honestly, though, I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter, shit gets real!**

 **With every crew member I add (whether it be the 2 in these five chapters or more if I continue past it), I'll release their character sheet as if I was submitting an OC to a story. Just thought it might be a fun way to get to know a bit more about the characters (or as an easy reference if you've forgotten some basic background info or their appearances).**

Name: Barr D. Newton

Alias: Newt

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Role: Captain, Engineer

Appearance: Measuring out at a meekly 5'6" and weighing only 105 lbs., Newt's far from big. The young pirate's shaggy hair is so light blond it appears white. In fact, most people assume it is. Newt's eyes are a light blue consistent with the color of ice. As for standard clothing, Newt tends to wear white shorts, and different colored sneakers and tank tops. However, his shorts aren't always unchanging. His only consistent apparel is the ratty white jacket he wears day-in and day-out, and a black beanie with a yellow sash tied around its lower half.

Power/Weapon: Fiercely intelligent and a natural engineer.

Goal: To become King of the Pirates.

As for the rest, well, how's a story fun if there are no surprises?

...

 **NEXT TIME ON DARK HORSE: Bullseye**

 **Casey- Octoshotgun blast!**

 **Casey- I need a moment alone with you.**

 **Newt- That doesn't sound good.**

 **Casey- You have to live! You have to live so you can dream on - so you can change the world!**


	3. Bullseye

**A/N: Screw it. I'm updating this twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Now, if I continue the title, it'll likely return to a weekly or even a bi-weekly schedule, but until my 5 chapter backlog runs out next week you can expect a much quicker release schedule.**

 **...**

One Piece: Dark Horse

Chapter 3: Bullseye

" _FIRE!"_

The sounds of gunfire roared like thunder over the town of Salom. Bodies fell like the evening sun. A rain of blood soaked the ground. Battle had broken out.

"Gah!" Sebastian Casey grunted. The mysterious hooded figure pushed herself off the ground and behind a cart, hiding alongside her comrade, Barr D. Newton. The tips of the index fingers on her gloves had been blown off, leaving only smoking holes. Out of cover, amidst the Marine squad, two soldiers fell to the wayside, a bullet lodged in each of their shoulders.

"You've been shot," Newt stated the obvious, eyeing Casey's three wounds: a bullet had skimmed her thigh, another impaled her gut, and one last bullet had lodged itself in her right _metal arm._

"They have it worse," Casey lied, flexing her shot arm. The robotic fingers groaned like they always did. The engineered hand clenched easily enough, and the bullet popped right out. Casey couldn't feel anything below her elbows, but like the metallic moans that was normal.

"Stay here," she ordered.

"Hey, I'm the captain—" Newt protested, but his comrade had already leapt out from behind cover. The teen looked down at his legs, his eyes darkening. ' _Damn it! Why can't I do a goddamn thing to help?!'_

Casey, meanwhile, managed to avoid the onslaught of Marine-fire upon rejoining the fight. Immediately, like practiced, the pirate raised her hands, only two fingers out: her index and thumbs. However, the pirate's metal index fingers had since changed—transformed into what looked like pistol barrels.

"Twin Shot!" Casey shouted, clasping her thumbs down. A round bullet blasted out of each index-barrel and smacked into the thighs of two unlucky Marines.

As the lawmen tried to reload, the pirate twisted her hands around so the palms faced the ground. Every finger but her thumbs morphed into the barrel of a gun.

' _I have to make this one count!'_ Casey thought. She clamped her thumbs in.

"Octoshotgun Blast!"

Eight bullets cascaded toward the Marines. This time, the Captain was in Casey's line-of-fire. He wasted no time to react. Picard produced a knife from his belt and sliced the bullet in half. Similarly, Casey acted immediately, leaping back behind the cart.

"C'mon!" Casey demanded, grabbing Newt by the hood of his cloak. "We have to get out of here!"

The two pirates set off, sprinting away, barely dodging the gunfire that followed them.

"Captain…" one of the Marines muttered, "What the hell do we do? He—Sebastian Casey—he's a monster."

" _He…?"_ Picard grimaced as he juggled a knife with one hand. "Sebastian Casey isn't a man. More importantly, she is something much worse than a monster— _a traitor_."

With that said, Picard continued on, shouting for all his troops to hear, "Find those two pirates! Kill them! Risk life and limb in the name of justice; just bring me back their heads!"

…

Casey gripped her stomach wound as she and Newt ran down the streets of Salom. Gritting her teeth, she slid her hand up to her hood and slung it off.

"Toss the cloak. They know who we are," Casey said through gritted teeth.

Newt nodded. He continued to run, but fumbled his way out of his cloak. The two pirates continued onward, drawing the gaze of nearly every bystander they passed.

Despite her injury, Casey remained in the lead. Her straw sandals pounded against the dirt road, drawing up grime that sunk into her tan legs and maroon shorts. Blood seeped into and stained her white tank top, but hid underneath the folds of her crimson jacket. The sleeves of the jacket had long since been removed, allowing anyone and everyone to glimpse her metal arms. The appendages themselves whirred and groaned as she moved, the gears inside them turning at a monotonous pace.

Newt was slowed by his legs, which were even skinnier than his arms. Oddly enough, silver braces supported his lower limbs, clicking with each step. Obscuring the upper half of the braces was white shorts. To complete the outfit, Newt wore a sweat-soaked black tank, similarly colored shoes and a ragged white jacket, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The boy himself wheezed as he followed after his comrade. He slowed a little with each foot forward. However, despite his exhaustion, he still managed to continue running and reach into his bag at the same time.

"Can't…find…" Newt gasped for air.

Casey glanced back. The boy was fading quickly _and_ he was wasting his energy trying to find _it_. He wouldn't be able to run for much longer. She couldn't take any more time to find shelter.

"Got it!" Newt produced a black beanie with a yellow sash tied over its bottom half and stuck it on his head, leaving just a tuft of his hair to curl up out of the front of the hat. He was just in time in time, too, as Casey slowed down, grabbed Newt's arm and tugged him into an alley, causing him to tumble after her. "Where're we—ah!"

Casey silenced Newt by throwing him headfirst into a waste container. Then she jumped in herself, and pulled the box's top over them.

"Ow!" Newt grunted.

"Quiet," Casey whispered. "You'll get us caught."

Newt didn't respond, merely taking in their surroundings. Still breathing heavily, the boy contorted his face in disgust.

"Smells like sh—"

"We're in the trash," Casey interjected, her head pushed against the side of the container as she attempted to listen to what was happening outside. Her shoulder-length brown hair was smattered against her face, a few strands fluttering with each breath she took.

"Right." Newt nodded. "I knew that. I just—Never mind." The boy pirate cocked his head to the side. "You look ridiculous."

Casey glared at him. Newt sighed.

"Listening in, I mean. I can hear them just fine without doing… _that,_ " Newt explained, waving his hand toward her for emphasis.

Casey raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Newt shrugged. "The Marines are just now running past the alley. No one's asking for help yet, and…never mind. Someone just did. They're being pointed…" The boy's lips flicked up into a smile. "I think they're being pointed the wrong way. We…we've just been helped."

Casey took a deep breath, relieved. She brushed her brown bangs out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ear.

"Good. I need a moment alone with you," Casey began.

"That doesn't sound good," Newt half-heartedly quipped.

Casey ignored the joke. "Captain, the Marines aren't a problem that's just going to go away."

"Definitely not liking where this is going," Newt muttered.

"Take this seriously, damn it!" Casey whispered intensely. Newt quivered for a moment, but gulped down his inherent need to lighten the mood. He nodded his comrade on.

"I'm going to go out there and take them on. My six round clips have reloaded," Casey explained. Newt glanced down at her hands knowingly. "I want you to go to the dock, and steal their ship while I'm distracting them. I know it'll be tough—there might even be guards—but you've got a hell of a brain on you. I believe you can do it."

"Casey…" Newt started to speak. The markswoman cut him off.

"Captain, you have to leave as soon as the ship is ready. Don't hesitate; just go."

"Wait…" Newt finally realized where this was going. "What about you?"

Casey looked down at her hands, eyes darkened.

Newt shook his head. His face began to redden. "No. No way. I won't let you—"

"Don't be stubborn, Captain! You have to live. You have to live so you can dream on—so you can change the world!" Casey whispered, her hands clenched into fists. "Don't worry about me! Just survive!"

Newt slammed his hand down. He didn't care if he made a noise. There were more important matters at hand.

With his gaze focused on the ground and his eyes obscured by his hair, the pirate was unreadable.

Quietly, but firmly, Newt said, "Fine. I'll do it. I'll follow your plan…but only if you promise me you won't just give up."

"What?"

Newt looked up at Casey, his eyes burning with intensity. "You can't just give up! You can't die willingly! Promise me, Casey! Promise me you won't die! I'm your Captain, damn it, and that's an order!"

Casey couldn't respond for a moment, too shocked to speak up. Instead, her lips merely curled up into a smile.

"I promise."

Newt breathed a heavy sigh of relief and sank back against the wall of the trash container, resting his arms atop his knees. "God, you wear me out sometimes."

There was silence for but a moment, and then the two pirates locked eyes and laughed. Quietly but fully, Newt and Casey snickered their worry away, until they couldn't any longer. The feeling of pressure in Casey's back, of a round object pressing against her, brought her back to reality. A smile was replaced by a frown, a light gaze by an intense stare.

Newt immediately noticed Casey's change of mood. He stopped laughing.

"What's wrong?" the young Captain asked.

Casey pulled her bag around so it rested on her lap, and produced the satchel she'd bought from the mysterious old man.

"You need to take this. If something goes wrong, if you're hurt, or in danger, or—"

"What is it?" Newt bumbled out, cautiously eyeing the satchel.

Casey reached down into the bag and brought out a golden fruit. It was perfectly round, and spotted with red dots. Newt's expression changed from that of caution to confusion and excitement.

"That—is that a—?" Newt stuttered.

"It's a Devil Fruit." Casey confirmed. "One of the last of its kind out of Marine hands."

Newt looked up, beaming. "Where'd you get it? Do you know if it's real? Do you know what it—"

"Slow down," Casey demanded. She held out the fruit. "None of that matters now. Just take it. We have to pray it'll help."

Newt paused for a moment, considering the weight of taking on the burden of the Devil Fruit. "Why don't you eat it?"

"Because I don't need it," Casey replied simply. "You, on the other hand…" She looked down at Newt's legs, or more specifically at the braces on them.

The young captain nodded. He took the fruit and stuffed it in his bag. After slinging it back around his shoulders, Newt looked up at Casey.

"What now?" he asked.

"Now…?" Casey grinned. "Now I kick ass and you steal us a ship."

Newt smiled. Casey tried to stand up to leave, but the white-haired teen pulled her back down. As Casey began to say "what," Newt held his hand out in a fist. Casey paused for a moment, smiled, and then met Newt's fist with her own.

Without time to lose, the two pirates hopped out from their cover, anxiously leaping into danger. As it turned out, they didn't have to go far to find it. A squad of four marines was waiting at a shop near the alley. The pirates were spotted immediately upon their exit.

"Get them!" one of the Marines shouted. The four drew their swords and charged.

Casey flipped over the Marines, her index fingers pointed. "Twin Shot!"

Two of the Marines collapsed, a bullet in one of each of their thighs. One of the remaining Marines managed to get up close and personal with Casey. The other swung his sword in a downward arc at Newt.

The young captain tripped and fell onto his backside, the blade coming down between his legs. He gulped and shot back up. The Marine continued his attack, going for a decapitating blow. Newt ducked under the sword and swung his fist around, aiming for a right hook. It connected.

Newt immediately grabbed his throbbing hand. The Marine, on the other hand, remained unfazed. He actually laughed.

"How the hell's a weakling like you worth 15 million beli?" The sailor guffawed, only to receive a blow to the back of his head in response. He collapsed. Newt looked up with wide eyes at his savior—Casey—who had already taken out her Marine.

"Go!" Casey said, already running in the opposite direction. Newt wasted only a moment to watch Casey go before sprinting off on his own toward the dock.

With each pounding step, Newt struggled more and more to breath. Still, he continued on, ignoring the aching in his chest, the fact that he was losing feeling in his legs, and the sweat pouring down over his eyes.

' _Casey could do it! I have to! She's fighting for me, for both of us, for our crew! I can't let her down! I WON'T!'_

As Newt neared the entrance, he caught sight of a squad of Marines settled around the sign. He immediately turned into an alley, and found a way out of the town from there. Luckily, there were only around fifty Marines on the island, therefore not enough to patrol the town and watch every exit.

Newt made his way out into the wilderness through a patch of bushes, diving into the foliage to avoid being seen. Once there, he took a ten second break before he stood up and raced away again. As he padded through the small forest separating the beach and Salom, Newt noticed the trees began to become shorter, stumpier, until fewer of them littered his surroundings. He was nearing the beach, and with it the dock. And then…

 _KRACKOOM!_

Newt froze in place, sweat dripping onto and stinging his eyes. His heart aching, but with a new type of pain, Newt turned around to look at the town. Smoke rose slowly over the treetops. Something had exploded in the town.

' _I have to keep going.'_ Newt thought, turning back toward the dock, but he stopped himself. He looked back at the smoke. ' _Casey…'_

"Damn it," Newt cursed. What should he do? What _could_ he do? He wasn't much help with anything if it wasn't a broken down piece of junk.

Newt gripped the sides of his shorts as he stared angrily down at his legs. ' _I've always been so weak, but that can't stop me! I have to help Casey!'_

Suddenly, it all clicked for Newt. He swung his bag around, reached in it and produced the Devil Fruit. He couldn't tear his eyes off of it. The fruit could change everything if it was real.

' _If the legends are true, this thing will grant me power, something that will change the course of my life. On the other hand, I'll never be able to swim again. I'll just sink to my death in the ocean like an anchor. What good's a pirate captain if he can't even swim?'_

Memories of Casey flashed through Newt's mind. When he first met her, an armless drunk. The first breakfast they shared together. The moment they set off, on the run from the Marines. And then, all the times they'd laughed together. The times they'd bonded. Newt hadn't known Casey for long, but in the time he had, she'd proven herself a loyal, kind, and strong friend. She treated him better and with more respect than anyone he'd ever known. Well, anyone except…

Newt swallowed. His eyes widened in shock. Without even thinking about it, he'd eaten the Devil Fruit.

"Shiiiit!" Newt reached back into his throat, trying to make himself throw it up. When that didn't work, he hit himself in the stomach. All that did was make him keel over in pain. But was it really so bad to eat the fruit…?

' _Casey needs me. This is my opportunity to save her for once.'_

Newt stood up straight. This was it. He had to step up. Whether the Devil Fruit helped or hurt him, he needed to save his friend.

"I'm coming, Casey!" Newt declared, taking his first step back towards Salom.

…

 **Please review. It really does make my day (and helps prove that this title of any of my stories should continue).**

 **Oh, and here's Casey's character sheet!**

Name: Sebastian Casey

Alias: Bullseye

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Role: First Mate/Gunner/Sniper

Appearance: At a whopping 6' tall and 140 lbs of pure muscle (without even adding the weight of her mechanical arms), Casey's a force to be reckoned with. The rest of her physique continues the Amazonian trend; that includes her large bust, and curvy-yet-muscular figure.

Casey's dark brown hair is cut to her shoulders. Her bangs are parted to the side and tucked behind her ear. It's not that unusual for Casey to tie her hair up into a ponytail. The markswoman's eyes are also brown.

Casey never dresses in a consistent manner with the exception being the straw sandals she wears day-to-day.

Power/Weapon: Excellent markswoman. She's a master of all forms of firearms. Her standard weapon-of-choice are her two arms, which have been modified to act as guns.

Goals: To protect Newt and help him towards his goals. To eliminate the Marines' corrupt officials and to clean up the organization from the outside in.

 **NEXT TIME ON DARK HORSE: A Suicide Mission? Casey vs. the Marines!**

 **Marine- You're dead, pirate scum!**

 **Casey- This is a battle between the foot soldiers of a corrupt organization, and a...**

 **Picard- Where's the cripple?**

 **Casey- Observation Haki?**


	4. A Suicide Mission?

**No reviews? Was it because I uploaded chapter 3 on a weird day? For those of you who missed last chapter, go check it out (and drop a review if you feel like it)!**

 **...**

One Piece: Dark Horse

Chapter 4: A Suicide Mission? Casey vs. the Marines

 _ **Earlier…**_

Casey stopped running shortly after her trek away from Newt began. She turned back to discover her captain had, in fact, gone off on his own and was on his way out of the town. Frowning, she couldn't help but think to herself, _'Stay safe, Captain.'_

Without another moment to lose, Casey continued to run further into the town, ripping off her tattered gloves as she did so. Innocents stepped back in fear at the sight of her. Nearly every single one couldn't tear their eyes off her metal arms. More than half of her passerby's gazes were filled with just as much hatred as terror.

Casey pushed those dark thoughts away. She was used to being looked at with those eyes—eyes that called her a monster. Even before she had become a pirate, before Newt had built her the prosthetic arms, she'd been looked down upon with every negative emotion imaginable, for reasons she would rather not deliberate upon further.

It didn't take long to find Marines. After cutting through an alley, Casey emerged into an open marketplace. From the looks of the ragged shops, it wasn't quite the upper-class district. However, it was still packed, or as packed as it could be in a town as small as Salom. Casey was certain the crowd was bigger than usual, too, because a dozen Marines had set up shop in the middle of it.

The sailors immediately caught sight of Casey. It was hard to miss metal arms after all.

"That's—that's her! Bullseye Casey! Get her!"

"Kill her!"

Casey raised her hands. She breathed in steadily, deeply, as the Marines hopped up and drew their weapons: either a sword or a rifle. She focused. Shoulders, legs, or stomachs if she had to—those were the only places she would hit.

' _They're just pawns after all. The real corruption lies in their superiors.'_

Suddenly, just as Casey began to bring her thumbs down and fire, a hand pulled on her right arm. Afraid it was another enemy, Casey faced the new arrival, but still kept her left hand-gun aimed solely at the Marines.

Much to her surprise, Casey discovered the person who had grabbed her was none other than the little girl from the fruit shop.

The girl's eyes had swollen up with tears, and she shook as she spoke, "M—Miss, what's going on? Why're you fighting?"

Casey couldn't fathom a reasonable response to the girl's questions at first. All the markswoman could process was that she needed to get her out of harm's way. As if to prove her point, when Casey looked back at the Marines, one was already pulling the trigger of his rifle, completely ignoring the girl's wellbeing.

 _BANG! CLANG!_

The bullet lodged itself into the ground after Casey had diverted it with her left hand. Her other hand was occupied holding back the little girl, who sobbed into the markswoman's thigh. Casey couldn't stop an uncontrollable rage from overcoming her as she glared at the Marine who had fired. She wasn't alone in her anger either, as the other sailors turned to their comrade and scolded him.

"You idiot!"

"You could've killed the girl—"

"Enough!" Everything had clicked for Casey at once. She had an answer to the girl's questions. She glanced back at the terrified child for a moment, saying, "This is a battle between the foot soldiers of a corrupt organization," she turned her gaze back to the Marines, "and a woman who swore over her father's grave that she would clean up that same goddamn organization!"

In a flash, Casey disappeared. She reappeared next to the Marine who'd fired and slugged him, instantly knocking him out. Casey needed to work off some steam; that meant no guns.

Half of the remaining Marines had the bright idea to charge her at once. Casey effortlessly flipped over all of them, grabbing two of their heads mid-leap, almost appearing as if she was standing on air. She slammed the sailors' skulls together. As the Marines fell back, beaten, Casey used their heads to spin herself around in a circle, windmill kicking the daylights out of the rest of the sailors.

Two of the remaining Marines got up the courage to attack Casey as she landed amidst the pile of their unconscious comrades. She ducked under the sword swipe of the first and chopped the back of his neck. He collapsed, unconscious. The other froze mid-lunge in fear, and Casey slugged him.

Only a handful of Marines remained. Casey eyed them, her gaze that of the Devil. Almost instantaneously, they all turned away and tried their best to escape her wrath.

Casey's gaze never faltered as she raised her hands. "Triple shot."

Bullets burst out of holes over her index fingers and her right middle finger. Each Marine cried in pain and collapsed to the ground as the pellets impaled one of each of their thighs.

"Yeah! Go, metal arm lady!"

Casey swiveled around. The little girl hadn't run away. In fact, she was now running towards Casey, her frown turned upside down. The markswoman held out her arm to stop the little girl from embracing her.

The blonde child backed up, nervous. "Did I do something wrong?"

Yet again, Casey wasn't sure how to answer. She shook her head. "Don't follow me. It's going to get very dangerous soon."

The girl was frowning again, but she nodded. There was a brief moment of silence between the two before Casey's lips curled into a tiny smile and the markswoman patted the girl's head.

"Go on now," Casey said. The girl nodded again and ran off, waving to the markswoman as she did so.

When the girl was out of sight, Casey approached the collapsed Marines she had shot. One had fainted from shock. The other two glared at Casey as she neared them.

"Pirate bastard! The Captain's going to—"

Casey silenced the man by stamping her foot down over his bullet wound. He roared in pain. The markswoman pushed down harder, causing him to scream louder.

"Tell me where Picard is," Casey demanded.

"Okay, okay! Just get off of me!" The Marine cried out.

"Alex!" the other said incredulously.

"What? She wasn't torturing you," Alex grumbled.

"Start talking," Casey pushed.

"Like hell he's going to—"

Casey stepped onto the other Marine's bullet wound.

"YeeoooWW! Okay! Talk, Alex! Tell her what she wants to know!"

Casey lowered her foot back to the ground. Alex shook his head in disgust as he grasped his injured leg.

"That's what I was going to do, Rick, before you…"

Casey raised her foot. Alex's eyes widened.

"Talking! I'm so talking! Um…Captain Picard's in the rich district—which is totally BS because you can't really get rich in a town like this…" Upon Casey's darkened expression, Alex gulped and continued, "It's just half a minute's walk that way." Alex nodded to his left.

"How many Marines are with him?" Casey asked.

"Twenty, I think."

"Do you _think_ that or do you _know_ —"

"Twenty! Yes, by God, yes!"

"Thank you. For your cooperation, I'll leave you conscious," Casey said. The Marines let loose a deep sigh of relief.

Casey took a moment to breathe and steady herself. She looked down at her hands. They clicked.

"Reloaded…good," Casey whispered to herself, flexing her hands. She looked up, and took one step forward before disappearing.

Alex and Rick's jaws dropped. They looked at one another and then back at where Casey had once stood.

Rick muttered incredulously, "What type of pirate knows Soru?"

...

The wealthy district of Salom was made up of four shops, each owned by a merchant who would be considered lower-middle class on nearly any other island. However, despite this, it still housed the town's only Navy base: a small, destitute cabin with no running water. Outside, Captain Rex Picard sat under the awning surrounded by half a dozen Marines. The young Naval Captain casually played with a knife as he coldly scanned his surroundings, waiting for anything like… _that._

Sebastian Casey appeared atop a small, one-story house, glaring at the Captain. The Marine stood, drawing the attention of his fellow sailors. After following his gaze and seeing the pirate, they all jumped into formation around their commanding officer.

"Where's the cripple?" Picard asked.

Casey didn't verbally reply. Instead, she disappeared again, using the ten-kick technique known as Soru to speed behind the Marines. Instinctively, Picard threw back his knife with perfect aim. Casey caught it.

"Observation Haki?" Casey wondered as the rest of the Marines shifted around to face her, confused.

Picard grinned proudly, "I'm 21, younger than you, traitor. It takes... _something_ special to rise through the ranks so quickly." His grin twisted into a sly smirk before he added, "You would know."

Casey's focus did not falter. She did not speak to respond, merely raising her hands, the tips of her fingers morphing into gun barrels. Multiple Marines fired their rifles in an attempt to act quicker than her. Casey simply dodged with Soru around them, making a ninety-degree turn, her arms still raised.

Instead of simply firing off pistol rounds, however, Casey clasped her hands together. The two prosthetics whirred and rumbled as they combined to form one massive cannon. Only Picard had discovered her location by the point of this transformation.

The Marine Captain leaped out of the way as Casey yelled, "Cannon Shot!"

 _KRACKOOM!_

An enormous cannon ball crashed into the crowd of Marines and exploded, sending the sailors flying. Each was knocked unconscious and bloodied, but not a single one of them was mortally wounded. Smoke rose over the fallen Marines and the crumbling Navy HQ.

Casey grimaced as her arms separated. In that span of time, Picard managed to sling one of his knives at her. The markswoman deflected the bullet by twisting her body around so it bounced off her arm, but she couldn't shoot back in turn.

' _The Cannon Shot is a done-in-one deal. I'm out of ammo and…'_ Casey thought, _'My arms are dead!'_

Casey Soru'd away to the remains of the Navy HQ, but Picard met her there.

"Something wrong?" He grinned wickedly and roundhouse kicked a shocked Casey into the ground.

"Looks like you're out of juice," Picard noted after Casey flipped up onto her feet, but without the use of her arms. The prosthetic limbs hung limply at her side.

Picard produced two knives from his coat. "This begs the question, traitor: how long can you la—?"

The Marine Captain was silenced as Casey leaped up, wrapped her legs around his head and flipped him into the ground. However, as the pirate regained her footing, Picard lashed out with his hand and seized her ankle.

"I got cocky. That won't happen again," Picard growled. He dragged Casey to the ground and rolled atop her. With a knife to the pirate's throat, the Marine Captain issued one last statement. "This is justice for your sins, traitorous Captain Sebastian Casey!"

Picard flicked his wrist to the side, slicing his knife.

...

 _ **Two Minutes Ago…**_

"I'm coming, Casey!" Newt sped up, pushing through foliage. "I'll save you!"

However, just as Newt began to really speed up, he forced himself to stop, clasping the sides of his head. For once, it wasn't exhaustion that drove him to slow down. New indescribable sensations flowed over and throughout his body. Everything… "I can feel everything! GAHH!"

Newt collapsed onto his knees. He could hear birds chirping a mile away. He could feel the flow of water through the ground. And, worst of all, the oddest feeling washed over him. His skin tingled and burned, as if coursing with electricity, only it had the power of a hundred lightning bolts. Unbeknownst to Newt, the grass around him yellowed, withered and died.

' _Casey…I have to…SAVE CASEY!'_ Newt pushed himself up onto his feet, a newfound strength surging through him. With sheer willpower, the young Captain made his overwhelming consciousness unnoticeable.

"CASEEEEYYYY!" Newt roared. He took off, unaware of the grass shriveling beneath his every step.

When, after a half minute, Newt reached the main entrance to Salom, he saw the two Marine guards. Their focus was on people inside the town. He had the element of surprise, but he wasn't dumb enough to think he could take them on in a fight. He would use his advantage to pass them.

Mustering all of his might, Newt leaped into the air, hoping to merely jump through the hole between them. Instead, he ended up jumping twenty feet into the air and over the sailors' heads.

"What the heeeellllll?!" Newt shouted as he fell to the ground well past the Marines.

Both sailors' jaws dropped and their eyes shot out of their heads in shock. "WHAAA-?!"

Newt wasted but a moment to look back at the Marines, wink, and throw a 'peace' sign there way before running off again, faster than before.

"Wait!" one of the Marines demanded.

"Sorry! I'd love to chit chat but I gotta save my friend!" Newt yelled back.

And with those final words, the teen's surroundings blurred around him as he hit speeds he'd never even imagined.

...

 **NEXT TIME ON DARK HORSE: Prodigies Clash! Newt vs Picard!**

 **Picard- Ready to die, pirate scum?**

 **Newt- This is my chance to test myself - to test the Devil Fruit's powers!**

 **Picard- Master Kill: X-Slash!**

 **Newt- Wait, what if I don't need to actually touch Picard to beat him? What if...?**


	5. Prodigies Clash!

**I'm _really_ grateful that the story's picked up a number of followers and favorites over the last couple chapters. I'm glad there are people who are enjoying the series! It's definitely tempted me to keep it going, but I'm still hesitant because I begin film school in the fall and my schedule's going to be crazy. If you want the title to continue, let me know! Drop a review, pm me, whatever. Just let me know that those followers, favorites, and traffic stats aren't just numbers (because, seriously, on this site you never know). **

**XxCrazyDreamerxX: I'm glad the action's clear and easy to read. I wanted it to be as dynamic and engrossing as anime and manga action, so I'm glad that energy is coming through on the page.**

 **...**

One Piece: Dark Horse

Chapter 5: Prodigies Clash! Newt vs. Picard

Naval Captain Rex Picard sliced his knife to the side in an attempt to execute Sebastian Casey by slitting her throat. Blood spattered over the remains of the petite Navy HQ. However, the source of the fluid was none other than the Marine himself, who had suffered an incredible blow to his head at the hands of Barr D. Newton, resulting in Picard being sent flying away!

The attack had come so quickly, in fact, that the Marine hadn't registered it even after he began to soar through the air, and he still managed to swing his blade, believing he'd killed Casey. Only after crashing into a 'wealthy' merchant's stall did Picard finally realize he had failed to execute the markswoman and had actually been dealt a blow himself.

Picard was not the only one shocked to discover Newt was the source of so much speed and power. Casey's eyes had widened and her mouth hung agape as she stared at her captain.

"Newt…" Casey broke form, whispering his name.

The young Captain looked back at his friend and comrade, and grinned. "I made ya promise you weren't going to die, stupid!" Newt looked back at his opponent, Picard, with an intense gaze and slammed his left fist into his other hand. "I came to make sure you kept that promise!"

The markswoman smirked, but she wasn't done speaking, "Your strength…did you…?"

Newt nodded without even bothering to look back at Casey.

"Oh, how cute! The cripple returns to save his subordinate!" Picard shouted, standing back up. The Marine's face was bloodied, his left eye already swelling. "How the mighty have fallen, eh, Casey?"

"I know this guy's just the type of Marine you hate," Newt said back to his first mate, "But would you mind if I took this fight?"

Casey hobbled up onto her feet. "Go right ahead, Captain."

"Thanks." Newt stepped forward, his focus on the Marine.

As the pirate moved, Picard noticed something he hadn't seen before. The boy was surrounded by a blue aura that seemed to be thinning by the second. While it certainly proved troubling, particularly considering that it appeared as if no one else could see the aura, it would ultimately prove fruitful to Picard's victory. He just had to outlast the pirate—or more specifically, his aura—to win.

' _Ready to die, pirate scum?'_

' _This is my chance to test myself—to test the Devil Fruit's powers!'_ Newt thought.

As if he had used Soru, Newt disappeared. However, Picard's Observation Haki allowed him to see the pirate's attack coming. Picard ducked under Newt as the boy swung his leg in a wide arc in an attempt to hit him with a wild roundhouse kick.

"You're untrained, weak." Picard slammed his fist into Newt's chest and sent the boy flying. The young pirate captain had to dig his fingers into the ground to slow himself down and keep from crashing into an abandoned shop.

"Keep talking, why don't'cha? That'll make it easier to win," Newt taunted. The boy pushed off his feet with all his might, leaping towards the Marine Captain. Picard's eyes widened as Newt neared him in a millisecond, but he still managed to avoid most of the pirate's punch, the boy only managing to skim his arm.

In return, Picard produced a new knife from his jacket and tried to cut Newt. The pirate stepped away in time to avoid the blow and jumped back a few feet.

' _He's incredibly fast and powerful. If he lands one more blow before that aura disappears, I'm finished.'_ Picard thought.

Newt breathed heavily as he stared back at Picard. It was getting difficult to fight. Whatever energy that fruit had given him was quickly fading away.

"Without any proper training—a form of martial arts, perhaps—you can not beat me. It doesn't matter what power you have," Picard tried to stall. He quickly added, "Which surprised me, by the way. I always believed you were simply intelligent, if that, not gifted with the powers of a Devil Fruit."

"I _am_ smart enough to realize you're wasting my time, trying to wait till my energy fades entirely," Newt stated. Picard and Casey's eyes both widened in shock, but for different reasons. The markswoman wasn't aware of his aura, let alone that it was fading.

' _What's he talking about?'_ Casey wondered.

"I've got no clue what fruit I ate, but I know its power seems to be leaving me. I don't care. I'll beat you before it's gone!" Newt declared.

Picard's frown slowly turned upside down into a malicious smile. He pulled yet another knife from his jacket, now wielding two, and got into a fighting stance. "Come on then, pirate scum. Are you ready to die?"

Newt roared in frustration and ran forward faster than Casey could see. He tried for a barrage of punches, but Picard managed to dodge every one. As Newt began to slow down, the Marine took this opportunity to attack. He leaped past the pirate faster than even the superhuman boy could react, cutting across his chest.

With his knives raised in a cross formation, Picard coolly said, "Master Kill: X-Slash."

However, Newt's chest did not suddenly rupture, nor did the boy suffer a wound of any kind. Picard was only beginning to look back when his knives shattered, much to his astonishment. _'His aura—it broke my knives!'_

"Sucker," Newt teased, already leaping into action. He attempted another kick, but Picard recovered in time and hopped away to dodge the attack.

' _Dammit! He's too fast for me! I can't touch him!'_ Newt struggled to see through the sweat pouring over his eyes. Wiping it away, a thought struck him like lightning. _'Wait, what if I don't need to actually touch Picard to beat him? What if…?'_

Newt was drawn back to the previous night. Casey and he had just escaped the Marines and were on their way towards Salom for supplies when the boy had asked the markswoman something interesting.

…

" _Can you teach me to fight?" Newt looked up at Casey innocently as the two sat opposite each other in the blond's personally engineered boat._

 _The markswoman frowned. She glanced down at the teen's leg braces. "Are you certain that fighting is something you should attempt?"_

" _You're joking, right? I don't care how strong my crew is; I know I'll be forced into combat on my journey to become Pirate King." Newt paused, before carefully adding, "And I won't just stand by and watch you constantly risk your life for me. I want to be able to protect myself."_

 _Casey's lips flicked into an almost-smile. "Very well, Captain. What would you like to learn? I think marksmanship would be appropriate for—"_

" _I want to learn hand-to-hand combat," Newt declared._

 _Casey was taken aback by the comment. At the very least, she had assumed he would be open to other methods, particularly considering his condition._

" _But Captain—"_

" _That's an order, Casey. Teach me to fight with my hands."_

 _Casey sighed, and reluctantly agreed to Newt's wishes with a nod._

" _I've always been more skilled at long-ranged arts, but I did pick up a thing or two about fighting hand-to-hand during my tenure as a Marine," Casey began. She stood up and massaged her left mechanical hand. "I'd say we should start with basic techniques like how to punch or kick someone without hurting yourself, but I figure you'd rather jump right into the thick of things."_

 _Newt nodded. Casey continued._

" _The Navy teaches a six-part technique called Rokushiki to only the most talented sailors. I was lucky to be among that select few. However, I only managed to learn a couple moves before…" Casey shrugged her prosthetic arms to make her point. "The two I know are Soru—a technique that makes you dramatically faster—and Rankyaku—an attack that—"_

" _Rank-a-poo sounds good," Newt interjected._

 _Casey smirked. "I thought you'd say that."_

 _Without another word, the ex-Marine leaped into the air and swung her leg around so quickly that she managed to create a torrential gust of wind shaped like a blade. The tempestuous air attack tore through the sea, until at last settling down fifty yards away._

 _Casey looked at her captain. Newt's expression was that of a child entering a candy shop for the first time; awe and excitement were etched into his eyes._

" _Rank-a-poo will definitely work," he muttered._

 _"It's 'Rankyaku.'"_

"That's what I said."

 _Despite the boy's earnestness, Casey still had some doubt in her mind. What could he achieve with his legs? Even still, she was more than willing to try to teach him. If it made him come to terms with his condition and what he could accomplish, he would be all the better for it._

" _All right, Captain." Casey raised her left leg at a 90-degree angle. "You start by lifting your leg up like this."_

 _Newt tried to mimic Casey but ended up falling onto his butt. The markswoman frowned. This wasn't the most promising start…_

 _Hours later, Casey had long past fallen asleep. Exhaustion had overtaken her, and the markswoman had to spend some time recovering from the stress of the previous few days. With the ship on course thanks to Newt's very own compass system, she could sleep without fear of anything natural disrupting their voyage._

 _Newt, on the other hand, had been training all night. Attempt after attempt, he tried to master Rankyaku. However, even after managing to balance himself and kick his leg to the side, he still couldn't produce anything resembling the epic attack._

 _At the break of dawn, Newt was forced to stop practicing, not because of the new day's arrival but because of something he noticed out of the corner of his eye._

" _Get up, Casey!" Newt shouted excitedly, staring out at the briefest hint of yellow and green hundreds of yards away. "I see an island!"_

 _Casey stirred. She struggled to truly rouse herself, but even half-awake she could spy the island with her hawk-like vision._

" _Put on your cloak!" Casey reached into her supply bag and tossed Newt a crimson shroud. "We can't let anyone recognize us."_

"' _Course not!" Newt muttered sarcastically as he tugged off his beanie, tossed it into his bag, and pulled on his cloak. "If someone did, things would get too exciting, right?"_

…

With nearly the last of his energy, Newt bounded for Picard. The Marine jumped away before the boy could reach him, but Newt had been expecting that. _'This is it—with everything I've got!'_

"RANK-A-POO!" Newt roared, swinging his right leg around as hard as he could. Much to his delight, an enormous blade of air erupted under the pressure of his kick, and surged towards Picard. Casey's eyes widened. The Marine was still caught mid-jump and could do nothing to avoid the attack.

' _He knows Rankyaku? Just who the hell is this kid?!'_

The air blade collided with Picard. Blood spurted from a wound that spanned the Marine's head to his groin, as he fell to the ground. The Naval Captain's eyes glazed over and his jaw hung loosely as he lay down, defeated but still alive.

"Well…" Newt landed on the ground. His legs twitched and his eyes began to roll back in his head. Exhaustion seemed to seep into his every pore. "That's just…great…"

Newt collapsed to the ground just as Casey reached him. She slid down and caught her captain, allowing him to rest on her lap.

' _Newt…you did it. I don't know how, but you…you did it…'_

Casey frowned, looked up, and cried out, "Help! I need a doctor!"

No response. Casey continued to yell for three minutes straight before she too began to fade into unconsciousness. The pain in the bullet wound over her stomach seemed to echo over her body. She could do nothing but succumb to the darkness as she collapsed over her captain.

…

 **As I'm not sure if I'm going to continue the title, there is no preview for the next chapter. All I can leave with you is the potential title for it: 'A Marine's Rage! Battle for the Rum.' Please, drop a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!**


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